Working Together

by margaret craig

The Collinwood Brotherhood Coalition was started in 2013 and is still going strong. Our signature event is our Annual Brotherhood Breakfast held in March, where men and boys come together have a full breakfast and enjoy engaging conversation and activities. The young men meet two Saturdays out of the month and interact with men from various organizations and backgrounds from around the city. This past June the young men hosted Commander Hill and several of his officers for Conversation with a Cop. The Commander led a discussion about the relationship between the community and police department, the youth in attendance were able to get up close and personal with the men and women of the Fifth District Police Department. For the past eight weeks, the young men have been participating in a program called "Working Together". Each Saturday the young men have gathered at The Salvation Army for basketball, a light breakfast and a discussion. Each week the topic was different. Similar to our regular gatherings the young men met with mentors who discussed topics such as education, entrepreneurship and goal setting. The young men were also engaged in learning and discussing the poem "Invictus" which says "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul". The main focus of the Working Together program was for the young men to create a business to rake leaves for seniors in the neighborhood at no charge to them. The experience of doing something for someone else was a meaningful one for the young men. They truly "Worked Together" to get the job done! The young men have even discussed offering snow shoveling in the future. The Working Together program was made possible by a grant from Neighborhood Connections.

margaret craig

Margaret is the Director of The Salvation Army Learning Zone Afterschool Program.